The Darkness
by CityOfFallenAshes
Summary: As an empty journal fills with unexplainable entries, the Doctor finds himself at a loss and Clara becomes determined to figure out why she's suddenly having visions of a supposedly dead woman...who just so happens to be trapped in a sea of black she can't permanently escape. (Sequel to The Successor!)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

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><p>The night was a dark one, and she used that darkness to slide around a corner, pressing back against the other side of it as multiple forms ran past, screaming at each other for letting her get away. She gasped for air, her dark eyes flashing with irritation as she looked around her. When the people chasing her were gone, she dared to open her mouth and whisper, "Doctor?"<p>

No response, of course. She'd lost track of him ages ago. Reassuringly, something poked its head out of her sweatshirt, nuzzling her cheek with a purr. "Sh," she giggled, affection running through her. She liked the small creature in her arms. They had been searching for it for a long time, she knew, after being told to find it. It had taken many weeks, even months, but at last, they'd found him, trapped in a base that was controlled by Torchwood. It had been with the help of an old friend of the Doctor's that they had reached him, but now...

Footsteps filled the air and she froze, glancing around with a soft gasp. The purr turned into a small growl before the creature hid in her sweatshirt again. But when she heard the familiar ramblings of the Doctor as he spoke under his breath, she sighed in relief and stepped out of her hiding place. The Doctor's gaze immediately went to her and he grinned. "Alright, Clara?"

"No thanks to you," she muttered, then grinned as the creature squirmed out from under her sweatshirt and dropped to the ground, darting over to greet the Time Lord. The Doctor looked delighted, kneeling to greet it. "Doctor, what happened to the captain?"

"Oh, he'll be fine," the Doctor said with a smirk, scooping up the purring creature. He handed it back to Clara, glancing over his shoulder with a flash of his eyes. "We, on the other hand, must get back to the TARDIS as quickly as we can. If we're caught, it won't end well for either of us."

"Well, how far away are we from the TARDIS then?" Clara demanded.

"Not too far, around a few corners and we should be alright," the Doctor murmured, ushering Clara forward. "Keep a tight grip on him. Wouldn't want to lose him after we went through all of this word to find him..."

"I don't think he wants to leave us," Clara retorted, smiling when the creature nuzzled her cheek and wrapped itself around her neck, watching the Doctor with slitted amber eyes.

They reached the old blue box in record timing. The Doctor lightly ran his fingers across the old blue wood, eyes flashing as he unlocked the doors. He opened one, stepping inside, and waited until she was inside as well to close it. It locked automatically, and the entire place flared up even brighter than normal as an excited whirring sound came from the console, lights flickering on and off as if they were at a disco. Clara threw her head back and laughed. "She's more than just a little happy, hm?"

The Doctor chuckled, especially when the creature gave a cry and leaped from Clara's shoulders, rubbing his cheek against the glass flooring, as if attempting to hug it. "Almost as happy as Clave is."

Clave glanced up at his name, his yellow eyes flashing happily before he whined, his scaled body shifting uneasily as he looked around. The TARDIS's flashing slowed, and then stopped all together, the whirring being replaced by a mournful hum that only he could understand.

So close, yet so far.

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><p><strong>AN: I'm baaaack! :3 Didn't take me too long, did it? ;) Formatting is a bit different, but... And look! Clave! Yay! Not too sure how this is going to turn out, so...enjoy and I hope you like it! ^_^ **


	2. Darkness: Part I

**Darkness: Part I**

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><p>My fingers danced lightly across one of the dozens of small screens in front of me, automatically typing in the dozens of numbers that danced across another of the screens, sent to me by the controls of my physical form. Just as he twisted knobs and pressed buttons, I redirected them, my eyes scanning as I searched my mind for what he wanted. Finally, he gave the last command: a lever being pulled, and I did just that, slamming my palm over a final screen before throwing myself down, staring up at the never ending black around me. It was all I <em>could<em> see beyond the screens; I was, after all, the TARDIS.

I couldn't blame the Doctor for this; it had been my choice after all. _I_ had willingly taken the TARDIS's information and whatnot into me. He hadn't made me. Nevertheless, I found myself regretting it immensely. Perhaps I could explain it in a way others can understand...

There were three things in my new world. Me, my fifty million screens, and the darkness. That was it. Nothing else. I could hear things, mind you. Whenever the Doctor and the Impossible Girl spoke, I heard whatever they were saying. I felt and sensed who was in my physical form. I received instructions from my console. But I couldn't answer in proper words; I could only hum and show my emotions about things in other ways.

_"Ah, here we are!"_ the Doctor cried, his voice echoing around the black. I listened eagerly. I hadn't touched or seen anyone since coming here. Hearing him speak was the only time I received any human contact. _"The planet Canziar! A place full of beautiful scenes, and-"_

I froze, and I heard my physical form gave a soft moaning sound. Canziar. Our first planet. Our first place outside of Earth. Tears filled my eyes. I wanted to join them so desperately, it hurt.

A soft chirping caught my attention. Clave, berating the Doctor furiously, as if he knew. But he couldn't know. He hadn't been with me then...this had been before I'd brought him in...

Either way, I laughed softly when the Doctor swore colorfully, catching himself. He knew what he'd done wrong. I could almost imagine him brushing his fingers against the console he sent me orders from, his eyes flashing with an apologetic look. _"Sorry,"_ he murmured, and I knew immediately he was speaking to me. I smiled softly, my gaze warming as he added, _"I wasn't thinking. I thought Clara would like it, that's all."_

And she would. With a gentle smile, I breathed out a soft hum, letting the sound fill my physical form, and the Doctor made a sound of relief before turning back to Clara. Clara sounded bewildered as she asked a question. _"How do you know? What she's saying, I mean? Does she speak to you?"_

I laughed so hard, I had to sit up so I could breathe. As if he could hear _moi_, who was trapped in the darkness! The Doctor simply chuckled and answered her with a gentle and affectionate tone. _"No, Clara. She doesn't speak with me in words. It comes with knowing her and Clave, too. Clave's a big help when reading what she's saying."_

Clara giggled and I felt a flash of warmth for the Doctor's newest companion. He had been so, so alone after Amy and Rory had left, almost as lonely as he'd felt during his regeneration despite the fact that I was still here, listening to him. It wasn't his fault though. He didn't know I was quite literally sitting alone. He thought I was happy where I was; he'd told Clara as much.

Clave purred and then chirrped again. This time, however, I knew the sound was directed towards me, and I reached out, letting the lights brighten in my physical form momentarily to show what I felt. _"I wonder...can she hear us?"_

I paused, hesitant at Clara's question, curious to hear what the Doctor thought. _Did_ he think i could hear them? I certainly hoped so. But instead, I heard, _"Maybe. I'm not sure. Although, there was this one time, when-"_

I scowled and simply tapped one of my many screens. I heard the Doctor swear again as the lights shut off. Clara simply hummed thoughtfully as Clave hissed. _"I think she can hear us, Doctor."_

I hummed my agreement.

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><p>Bored, I swiftly braided my freakishly long hair, my gray eyes shifting to the screens before me every now and then. The Doctor and Clara had been gone a long time, enjoying Canziar with a bit more peace than I had. Clave had accompanied him despite some reluctance, but I wasn't angry. I was simply lonely, as I'd been for a long time now.<p>

But, with the Doctor out and about, I could at last practice what I'd been working on _every_ time he left. With a grin, I closed my eyes, imagining the internal structures that made up my physical body. I imagined I could see them around me, _hear_ the sound of the TARDIS moving as I ran my fingers across the controls...

And then, I was staring at the console. Shock filled me for a second, and my eyes went round as I took in the faint shimmering of my hand as it drifted over the controls that told me where to transport my Thief. With a gasp, I whirled around, taking in my physical form's internal structures.

Since transferring my soul into the TARDIS, I'd been working desperately to get to this point. It had taken so long to get here, and now...here I was, able to materialize inside my own physical form. Hesitantly, but eager, I spoke for the first time since saying my last words to the Doctor. To _my_ Doctor, not bowtie man. "Oh," I breathed, then gave a shaky laugh, shaking my hair out. I couldn't feel the silky strands here, not like I could in the darkness I called home, but nonetheless, I could see it. I couldn't even see _myself_ in that place; the screens were the only things I was able to lay eyes on.

I let my laughter fill the air as I bounded in circles around the console, laughing loudly. I couldn't feel any of this, nor could I smell anything, but I could hear and see and that was all that mattered at the moment. Over a century of deprivation, and _finally_ I was able to see!

Suddenly, however, I was snapped back to reality by the sound of a lock shifting. Exhaustion suddenly shot through me, and the world vanished. Frustrated, I moaned, finding myself back in the black, and my physical form hummed mournfully along with me. No matter, I told myself as the Doctor, Clara, and Clave stepped back inside. It was progress. It would take me building up stamina before I could stay that way for more than a few seconds.

_"-a few shops is? One or two. You said a few shops. That was more like a billion,"_ Clara complained as she stepped into the TARDIS. Clave purred in amusement at her words, and I let my lips quirk up into a smile. How I adored my little pet.

_"Wasn't it fun though?"_ Bowtie man sounded beyond happy, and I felt a twinge of jealousy in my heart. How come she got to make him happy with something as simple as words and I couldn't? _Because I'm the TARDIS,_ I told myself scoldingly. I had no right to get jealous when I'd done this to myself.

_"...yes,"_ Clara admitted with a sigh.

Curiosity struck me. Perhaps... I closed my eyes, willing myself into the shadows of the control room. They materialized around me, and my eyes immediately landed on the Doctor.

He looked exactly as I remembered bowtie man looking, even if he did look a little bit less...enthusiastic about everything. He'd shed his tweed coat and was in the process of rolling up his sleeves when the lights flickered. Exhaustion swept through me. Right! I'd forgotten in a matter of moments. I didn't have the energy to stay like this for long. He paused in what he was doing when the lights flickered again, dimming, and concern crossed his face. Lightly, he touched the console, leaning against it as he peered up at the central column. "Ali...?" he murmured, his voice both echoing in my ears and not at the same time.

Clara glanced over her shoulder, curious. She'd been heading for the room I'd had made for her, it appeared, and Clave was curled around her shoulders. As if knowing exactly where I was, Clave's eyes locked on me. I smiled softly at him, waving my fingers in a small greeting. He gave a _very_ loud purr that scared Clara into nearly dropping him, and I laughed quietly before letting myself return to the darkness. Exhaustion swept over me the second I was there and I drifted off to sleep without a second thought.

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><p>I woke to the sounds of shouting in my ears.<p>

_"Clara!? Clara, are you alright?"_

_"Yeah," _she called back, sounding stunned. I struggled to figure out why. _"I just...I tripped over Clave. I've got a sore ankle, but that's it. What happened?"_

_"The TARDIS shut down..."_ The Doctor sounded fearful as he began flicking different controls. Lost as to what had happened and still tired, I sat up, swaying in my spot. Yawning, I reached out and touched a blaring screen, waking the systems up and checking the different controls. He was right; everything had shut off. I needed feul to continue. I slowly began waking different things up, starting with the lights. The Doctor gave a relieved cry. _"There you are, sexy! I'd appreciate if you didn't scare me like that again!"_

I laughed softly; my physical form hummed in reassurance. I was fine...but seriously! When had he started calling me "sexy"? I tapped a screen with my finger, sending him the alert: I required more feul. No, I didn't eat or drink now, but in order to stay awake as much as I did, I needed the energy that only the Doctor could get me.

_"What's wrong?" _Clara demanded. She must have found her way to the Doctor. Clave hissed. _"Doctor? What's that light?"_

_"I don't understand," _the Doctor protested. _"We just...we did this yesterday..."_

I smiled softly. Yes, and I'd been practicing things he didn't know about yet. I hummed softly, letting him know that I agreed yet it needed to be done. Clave, who'd seen me earlier, purred loudly again and I laughed softly when the Doctor suddenly yelped. Clave must have nipped at him or something.

_"Doctor?"_

_"Sorry," _he apologized to Clara, apologetic, _"She needs to be fueled up again. I don't understand...I fueled her up the last time we stopped by Earth..."_

_ "You said every time I plugged something in that it took up a bit of the...whatever it is that gives the box energy," _Clara said guiltily. _"I left a few different things plugged in...sorry."_

The Doctor merely murmured that that had nothing to do with what had happened before beginning to talk under his breath to himself...and to me. _"What did this, Ali? Why are you running out of energy so fast, hm? You and I both know this isn't normal...are you alright? It's not like the last time?"_

He thought I was dying and would need to find someone else to take over already? Aw, how cute. I hummed soothingly, desperately longing to reach out and reassure him with actual words and touch. Soon, I told myself. Soon I could tell him though I would never be able to touch again.

For the first time in a while, the Doctor seemed frustrated that he couldn't understand what I was telling him. My screens fuzzed and I felt a jolt of pain when he suddenly struck the console in irritation. I winced. Yep. Forgotten that. I couldn't feel anything but when my physical form was attacked. So every single time something hit those doors, it hurt. Badly.

_"Doctor, don't hit the TARDIS 'cause you're mad,"_ Clara snapped. Clave snarled under his breath at him and I bit my lip. Could I spare enough energy to show up for two seconds? Explain _why_ I was out of energy? No, I couldn't show myself to him. But I could peek. Carefully, I willed myself again, but the second I even attempted to, Clara screamed and the systems went haywire. My physical form had shut down again.

Cursing under my breath, I hurried to rectify my mistake, humming apologetically to my three passengers. I sighed, pursing my lips irritably. I couldn't even do a little bit, or we'd be stuck...permanently...

_"Sorry, sorry," _the Doctor said with a rasp in his tone. He was apologizing for smacking my console, I realized. _"I'm sorry. Don't worry, we'll get you re-fueled right now. Do you have enough for a trip to Earth?"_ He began putting in the coordinates and I did as I'd been doing for a while now, retracing them so that my physical form began to move to the desired location. My view of the screens was growing blurry; I was very nearly completely out of energy.

It wasn't a pleasant trip. I nearly fell out of the Time Vortex a dozen times. My passengers were sent rolling and flying around the control room, forced to the ground and grab what they could to keep from getting hurt. I knew without a doubt that it was going to be a rough landing, and wasn't surprised when the Doctor yelped in pain at the same time that Clave screeched and Clara cried out.

_"Clara? Clara, are you alright?"_ the Doctor demanded.

_"I-I think so,"_ she stammered. She suddenly cried out. _"Doctor! Your head- It's bleeding!"_

I froze, guilt spreading through me. I'd made the Doctor bleed? I whimpered softly, a whirring sound echoing throughout the large internal structures. _"I'm fine,"_ the Doctor said quickly, though I couldn't tell if he was speaking to me or Clara. Clave whined softly, and I smiled faintly as I felt energy beginning to fill me again. I immediately set to work on channeling different streams. Most of them went into my storage place for such things. Another went into stabilizing my controls. One turned into the defenses I kept up to keep them safe. And the other went to me.

I stepped into the shadows again, this time able to remain without causing issues due to the non-ending energy that filled me. I bit my lower lip anxiously, gray eyes searching the room. Sparks continued to fly from my console as the energy went to it. Clave looked utterly terrified; scratches in the glass flooring had been created by him struggling to grip it, though he'd managed to nab a railing. Clara was kneeling on the ground beside the Doctor, inspecting a nasty gash on the left side of his forehead. I whimpered again. His hair was matted with the sticky liquid that came from the wound. I'd hurt the Doctor.

"I'm fine," he insisted, swatting at her hands with a look of annoyance as he tried to push past her to get to his feet and inspect the console. But she refused to let him with a determined look, making sure it wasn't bad enough to require stitches.

Once again, Clave was the one that noticed my silent appearance. His sharp eyes locked on me before he slithered over, a purr escaping him despite his attempt to be quiet. He paused just inches from me and I gave him a faint smile, pressing a finger to my lips as the Doctor and Clara began to argue over what to do now. I didn't want them to know I was here. And he understood that; the little dragon-like creature rose up on his hind legs to reach up, but his claws merely swiped through my illusionary appearance. I wasn't touchable, I reminded myself.

I smiled at him, kneeling so that I was at eye level with him. "I know," I breathed, "I've missed you, too, buddy." He whined softly, studying me and I gave a choked hum. It echoed around us, sputtering, and the Doctor finally just pushed past Clara to reach for the console, making sure everything was alright. I glanced at him, and then the distressed Clara. "You keep them good and safe when I can't, okay? They need it."

Clave purred, twitching his tail, and I beamed sadly at him. "Good boy."

Suddenly, Clara's eyes darted around, searching for Clave. She found him...then saw me. I froze, meeting her gaze with wide eyes. _Damn it!_ In a flash, I vanished back to my dark hell hole. Practically screaming curses, I clutched my head in my hands. I wasn't ready yet! Not to talk with them!

_"Doctor,"_ Clara said uncertainly, and I gasped softly, nervous. _"I thought...I just saw..."_

_"Yes, Clara?"_ The Doctor was suddenly in a fairly bad mood, I realized. It was due to worry, I supposed. _"What is it?"_

_"...never mind."_ I gave a relieved laugh, throwing my hands into the air. The glow of the screens lightly lit my hands as I set to work on manually fixing the different systems, starting with my console's spark issue.

Close calls were _not_ very fun I decided.

_"There we are,"_ the Doctor murmured. _"Are you alright, Ali? You need to be careful...I can't get you fuel every few seconds, you know."_

He could and he would if he wanted to keep me going for the next few months, I thought with a scowl. Nevertheless, I let a few different beeps come from my console in a fake agreement. He would know why all of this was happening soon. Silently, I promised him that. _"Hey, Doctor," _Clara said suddenly. I listened intently. I would have to listen carefully to what she said for the next few days, until she forgot what she'd seen...or I could tell her not to tell. An idea struck me; I would speak to her as soon as she was separated from the Doctor.

_"Yes, Clara?"_ the Doctor repeated with exaggerated patience. I felt a moment of sympathy for the Impossible Girl. It wasn't fun being on the Doctor's bad side for the time being. Or ever.

_"What...what would you do if she came back?"_ I went still. She wasn't revealing my secret, but she was hinting at it. _"Alissa, I mean? What would you do if you could see her again?"_

The Doctor sounded saddened as he responded a few moments later. _"I don't know," _he said honestly, quiet. I felt his grief and returned it with a soft hum of my own. _"It's...I'm not the person she left, Clara. Ali...she was a special person. A one of a kind, just like everyone else, but a bit more than anyone else can possibly be. Why would you ask me something like that? Did you hear something from Jack when we saw him?"_

_"No," _Clara told him. _"I owe him a date, though. But I just...I'm curious. She seemed so nice when I saw her for those few minutes...even when she had the whatever it was in her head..."_

Clave whined softly, and Clara giggled. He must have tried to comfort her and distract her from what she was getting at. It worked, whatever he did. _"Anyways, I was just wondering. Forget I asked. Sorry."_

The Doctor chuckled, albeit sadly. _"No, don't apologize. If you have any questions about Ali, feel free to cask Clara. We're going to be looking into whatever her journal meant anyhow...have you been checking it every few days like I asked?"_

_"We were looking for Clave," _she said sheepishly. _"I forgot. Sorry. I'll go check." _The second the Doctor started talking to himself about something or another, and then to Clave, I let myself step into Clara's room, taking in what I had created. It suited the Impossible Girl perfectly. I'd just perched myself on her bed when the door opened and she stepped in, looking down with thought.

I watched her with a patient silence as she shuffled around a bookshelf, searching desperately for the journal. I tilted my head, my gray eyes following her with curiosity in them. How did she, the Impossible Girl, have the ability to _automatically_ freaking know I was there, speaking with Clave? Nevertheless, I smiled when she suddenly stood up and saw me. A choked gasp left her lips and I giggled, pressing a finger to my lips to warn her to keep quiet.

"Oh, my- You're her!" Clara cried, and I cast a terrified look towards the open door. Her room was near the control room, and I didn't feel the need to meet with the Doctor just yet. I cast her a sharp look. I didn't want her to know I could speak just yet. I didn't want to scare her too badly. So I waited until she was simply gaping at me, then repeated my motion for a demand of silence. Clara's tone dropped the next time she spoke, I thought with relief. "You're Alissa Levine, that girl we saw a few weeks ago..."

I gave a hesitant nod. The Doctor was coming. I could sense him coming this way. So, quickly, hastily, speaking with a harsh tone, I hissed, "Don't tell him, or nobody's getting in again. Got it?" That said, I left, returning my little space of isolation. I didn't mean to be so cruel, but it was required. She had to understand he couldn't know yet.

And, as the Doctor demanded to know if Clara was okay as she went back to searching for the journal, I simply smiled to myself.

_Soon,_ I promised silently.

Soon, I would reveal myself to the Time Lord known as the Doctor.

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><p><strong>AN**

** Yep. Back to the first person. Bet you didn't see that coming. XD I hope you enjoyed this and continue to do so! **

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><p><strong>bored411: <strong>And update quickly I shall. Glad you liked the little reunion. I missed Clave while he was gone. XD

**BrainStormer:** And you're back of course. XD Glad to see ya again. Jack shall return, I'll spoil that bit for ya now. XD


	3. Darkness: Part II

**Darkness: Part II**

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><p>Slowly, I balanced along the railing amused. I never would have been able to do this had I not been an illusion. Nonetheless, even with my amazing balance, I held my arms out, walking along the railing of the TARDIS. Clave purred in amusement, watching from his spot in the captain's seat. I glanced at him with a crooked smile. The Doctor had left him behind, declaring the alien's presence wouldn't be a smart thing to have with them on Earth, where we'd returned to for the umpteenth time in who knows how many days. He was frustrated, the Doctor, but I had my ways of keeping him un-mad.<p>

I hopped down from the railing, making my way around the console. I was getting better. It still tired me out, being out of the darkness for so long, but I was able to stay out longer now. An hour at the most before my energy ran out. I had set a goal for myself. Three hours without needing to rest, and I would show myself to the Doctor, explain to both him and the Impossible Girl, who hadn't revealed my secret. She was a keeper, I'd decided. My keeper. She made sure the Doctor took care of me, both physically and mentally. Though I doubt either of them were aware of just how much I could hear.

Suddenly, Clave hissed. I glanced over my shoulder, hearing the familiar click just as tiredness washed over me, the lights flickering around my head. With a groan, I let this area fade away, back into my little cage. The dark didn't seem so bad anymore. Not so lonely now that I got to speak and see Clave. He wasn't human, but he kept me company enough. I tapped my screens with a sigh, trying to wake the lights back up.

The Doctor gave a cry. _"Again?!"_

I guiltily had my physical form whir apologetically. He would understand when I revealed myself to him...wouldn't he? Clave purred reassuringly as Clara sighed, _"Looks like we're parking again..."_

_ "I'll have a look at the engines again," _the Doctor told her, sounding irritable. I couldn't blame him, even contemplated giving him a break from taking me back for more fuel. But then I decided against it. I needed to hurry and get this down to perfection! _"Although there wasn't anything wrong with them the last time I checked..."_

_"Is it something else maybe?"_ Clara suggested. _"Can the TARDIS get sick?"_

_"No! No, she's not sick!" _the Doctor snapped sharply, furious at her for even suggesting it. This time, I remained quiet, even as Clave hissed warningly at him when Clara muttered a quiet apology, sounding hurt at his tone. I couldn't blame him. That was how this entire mess had started anyways... When he spoke again, he sounded exhausted, _"I'm sorry, Clara. I don't mean to be so harsh. I'm sorry. I'm just...this entire deal is stressing me out. I'm worried. I don't want the TARDIS to..."_

_"It's alright, I'm sure she'll be fine. Maybe she's just got some kind of space cold."_

Oh, Impossible Girl, how you make me laugh. I chuckled, and Clave purred when my own physical form did. I tapped on a screen, making sure the lights were all in order before flashing them a few times to show I was ready to move if he wanted. I was tired, mind you, not completely up to anything like I should have been, but I was ready to go nonetheless.

_"Are you sure?"_ the Doctor murmured. He was concerned. _"Should we stop for more fuel first, sexy?"_

I made a face. Seriously, did he _have_ to call me that? What happened to good old "Ali"? Or did this version of the Doctor think I actually was sexy? Sighing, I flashed the lights again. He chuckled. _"Okay, okay, we're going."_

_Finally_. I waited until he started messing with the controls, then set to work on fixing them up myself, sending my physical form flying through space and time as I headed for the desired location...only to hiss in pain when something suddenly slammed into the blue box. Pain raced up and down my body until I was nearly unable to do anything, allowing my physical form to falter for a second, shuddering. _Ow_. What the hell?

I set to work on finding out what it was immediately. The Doctor was giving Clara commands to hold on, as if he already knew, and I sighed when I realized we'd managed to encounter a few ships that weren't particular friendly to unknown vehicles. Only he would give me coordinates right near a place like this! They fired again, and I winced, fingers dancing desperately as I changed the coordinates to ones that would take us somewhere safe. They weren't aware, of course, I realized when the Doctor gave a small huff of confusion. The Doctor didn't know there had been danger where he wanted to go. So I changed the coordinates to the place _I_ wanted to go: home. I wanted to go home. I wanted the Impossible Girl to meet my closest and best friend. They would be safe here, and I could fuel up despite convincing the Doctor otherwise.

_"Really?"_ the Doctor muttered. _"Come on, we were going to go speak with the alien version of Beethoven..."_

I rolled my eyes. Honestly! Drevan was just as good, maybe even better then some alien version of Beethoven. I rubbed my arms in the darkness, ignoring the Doctor's attempts to get me to move back to the original location he'd wanted to go to. So maybe I'd lied; he was aware of when I changed coordinates. But I ignored him, remaining firm as I landed us in the middle of the yard of the home I'd gifted to Drevan.

Then, to coax them out, I stubbornly gave a low hissing sound, letting it echo around my physical form. He knew immediately what it meant, and, grumbling complaints, drug Clara out by her hand, whistling sharply for Clave. Clave hesitated, not wanting to go, but then scampered after him anyways, purring at the sound of a shocked voice calling, "What the hell?!"

I placed my head in my hands, sighing with exasperation. This was the very edge of the rift; it had shifted over the years that I'd been away with the Doctor. My Doctor had mentioned the rift being in England, but it appeared a new one had appeared here a few years ago.

Humming, I sorted out the layers of energy, letting each go to a seperate place before stepping into my physical form with ease. It was getting easier each and every single time I did it. I grimaced when I realized my console was sparking and quickly put a stop to that. My eyes scanned back and forth over the room for a moment as I took it in. So much different from what he and I had traveled in a long time ago. Thoughtful, I started up a flight of small stairs and entered my never ending halls, pausing by the door that led to Clara's room. I let my lips curve up in a hint of a smile before moving on until I found the room I wanted to see: my own. I willed the door open, stepping inside.

It was exactly as I'd left it: clean and spotless. Mostly black and white, my art supplies scattered everywhere. My sketchbook and my journal were gone, of course, somewhere in Clara's room now, I suspected. There wasn't a single speck of dust in it. I bit my lip, touching the bed. I couldn't feel it, but it was there. My fingers passed through it and I found myself stumped. How could I go through _this_ but sit atop of Clara's bed? Had it been my determination to talk and go? Sighing, I sank my teeth into my lower lip before heading back into the control room, hopping back up onto a railing to balance there, cautious. With my luck, they'd come back in at any time and catch me. Clara I wasn't too worried about, she could-

My thoughts were interrupted when the said girl suddenly threw the TARDIS doors open and stormed in, slamming them shut behind her. I winced when they bounced off, pain like a pinch snapping through me. I didn't bother to go back to the hellish darkness. As I'd said before, Clara wasn't the one I was concerned with seeing me. I tilted my head curiously; what was she so upset about?

"Curse it all, s'all about this now a days," Clara mumbled. Her cheeks were flushed and I grimaced. Drevan must have broken into the wine cellar or something. Curse him and his new found love for wine. Just because I hadn't been with him in person didn't mean I didn't know anything, I knew immediately when something changed. "Not fair..."

I hummed softly, letting the sound echo around us both as she headed to her room. She came back a few seconds later, a familiar journal and sketchbook in her hands. That seemed to be involved in anything they did now a days... Curiosity struck me as I saw her go through the doors. I wonder...

Cautious, I willed them open. But when I went to step through them and out into the grass outside, all hell broke loose.

Even hanging over the rift, the energy left me. My physical form shut off almost completely except for a faint humming as the engines tried to restart. I gave a small cry, which was echoed as a massive sounding scream echoing around me, and I hurried to stumble back inside, swaying, spots swimming in my vision. I had a mere instant to return to the darkness before the Doctor was suddenly there, crying out in surprise when he realized what had happened.

_"Doctor?! What was that?!"_ Clara cried as she came racing in close behind him. Clave hissed. _"What happened?! She was perfectly fine two seconds ago!"_

_"Th-this is the TARDIS now?"_ I went still at the sound of the friend I loved almost as much as the Doctor. Drevan. He'd followed them. _"This is her? Is she okay?"_

_"That's what I'm trying to figure out...she fried out some systems..."_ I knew immediately when the Doctor headed to check on the smoldering pieces beneath the glass and the console. _"Clara, you and Drevan stay up there,"_ he wheezed. _"I'm going to make sure everything's okay down here."_

I whimpered softly, my physical form repeating the sound quietly. The Doctor murmrued soothingly under his breath as he struggled to come up with whatever had caused this, and guilt flooded me. I should tell him. I really should have stepped out and told him and apologized for all the terror I'd caused him.

But I didn't.

I simply fell asleep, the screens dark this time as I passed out.

* * *

><p>Cursing myself, I forced myself into consciousness, well aware of the flickering screens that were suddenly in front of me. Exhausted, I swayed as I sat up, letting my fingers brush against the screens, making sure my systems were stabelized again. It was silent; the Doctor, Clara, Drevan, and Clave must have left, or my three passengers must have gone to rest.<p>

Note to self: never step outside my physical form again.

Rubbing my temples at the pounding headache I had and realizing it was going to be there for days again, I checked my energy levels and willed myself into the shadows of the control room to see what it looked like. I blinked a few times; it was smoky, though not as much as it had been. It was going away. My console had stopped sparking, the lights going firm now, and, I realized, I wasn't alone.

My passengers sat on the captain's seat together. Clara was curled up into the Doctor's side, her eyes shut as she dozed with his arm around her shoulders in a comforting motion. How many hours had I been out? Clave had slid around her shoulders, and her head lolled against his and the Doctor's shoulder. The Doctor himself was actually awake, though quite a mess. His hair was everywhere, singed at the tips, his bowtie gone and his face streaked with soot. His tweed coat had been abandoned, burns and tears along his shirt. The suspenders he usually wore had been abandoned as well. His concerned and tired green eyes studied the console, his entire face practically radiatating a troubled feeling.

Mournful and guilty, I bit my lip, crouching in my corner. I hugged my knees to my chest, taking in their appearance. Taking in how much trouble I'd caused. I hummed softly, apologetically, careful not to do it too loudly so that he wouldn't hear and the sound filled the space around us like a song. I knew what the song of the TARDIS sounded like; I didn't want them having to hear it like Bad Wolf and I had.

The Doctor's face became bright and a grin graced his features. "It's alright," he murmured, his voice echoing in my ears and not. "I do wonder what made that happen though..."

As I watched them, silent now, I found myself thinking of my Doctor. The Doctor with the crazily perfect hair, with the dark eyes encased by thick frames. The one who wore the pinstriped suits with a trench coat and converse, with the blue sonic screwdriver and not the green. This was the same man, yes. Just a different appearance a few tweaks in his personality, but I missed my Doctor. I wanted him back. I wanted to get rid of the memories of his desperate and lonely regeneration. And I wanted to destroy the Master for what he'd done. If it hadn't been for him...

I remembered the few times bowtie man had seen me. The real me, the Ali who'd traveled with his previous regeneration. He'd been so happy and sad, each and every time. And that last time...when he'd returned to me with Clara, he'd been furious, throwing things, kicking and slamming his hands on the console until I'd given an agonized screech that had Clara running to stop him.

I buried my face in my hands. I shouldn't have agreed to do this...but...it had been necessary. Look at everything I'd saved...without this, the universe would have collapsed. And then neither of us would have lived.

"Doctor?" Clara said softly suddenly, hair mussed from her dozing. Affectionately, the Doctor pressed a kiss to the top of her head and I smiled softly at the two. The Doctor had loved Amelia Pond, and even Rory, too. She was the one who'd taken care of him while I suffered through the change that had accompanied his regeneration. But their bond was nothing like this. He'd go to Hell and back to make sure Clara was safe. She was, after all, the Impossible Girl...and the one who saved him.

I sighed. I wanted to join them so desperately...I wanted to be human again, I realized with a sigh. I couldn't though. Never again would I touch anything. I would have this form, yes, but...it's one thing being able to see people. It's a completely different thing to actually have human touch. Even in this room, with them feet away, I felt lonely.

Clave suddenly stirred from his own daze, locking his piercing eyes on me, taking in my down look. He purred softly, and the Doctor reached up to gently scratch his chin thoughtlessly, but Clave didn't seem to notice, looking at me with a longing look. I couldn't blame the poor little guy. He had been mine and always would be, and that was just how it would be.

With a sigh, I stood. I needed to get back to the darkness, to make sure my energy was restoring in its proper location. I paused, glancing back...and realized that Clara's dark eyes were locked on me with shock evident in them. I froze, glancing at the Doctor nervously, but she didn't alert him of my presence. Relieved, I merely gave her a very, very faint smile, waving my fingers in a wary way, and Clave's purr grew even louder. And then I stepped out of view, sighing.

This really, really kind of sucked...

* * *

><p>I leaned back against the console with a small hum, watching Clave skip around playfully. I grinned. My little pet. He was so cute sometimes...<p>

A few weeks had passed...or so I thought. You know, wibbly wobbly, timey wimey. You could never be too sure when traveling through time. Clara had seen me more than once now, and I didn't mind. So long as she didn't tell the Doctor...and now...I found myself contemplating. What would she do if I actually sat down and _talked_ to her? Not just my warning to her? Would she care...?

Only one way to find out. I'd wait until she went into her room later when she and the Doctor got back from running around like crazy people. I mean, yeah, the Doctor was a mad man with a blue box but Clara certainly wasn't! It didn't take long. I'd just willed myself into her room, leaning against the wall beside the door when they came back. Clave stuck close to me, curled up on Clara's bed, and I tilted my head as I listened to them from the crack of the door.

"You're crazy!"

"I thought we'd been over this already. I'm not crazy; I'm mad."

"Yes, yes, a mad man with a blue box. Lovely. Now, would you mind taking me back? I have a job to do, you know."

"Oh, alright. But next time-"

"Oh, shush!" Clara suddenly came storming into the room and I bit back a smile. As much as she claimed to be irritated with the Doctor often, she cared deeply for him. I could sense it. She didn't notice me again, and I simply remained where I was, not bothering to move as Clave raised his head when Clara threw herself face down on the bed. Clave purred soothingly, squirming over to rest his head on her back, making Clara giggle, the sound muffled by the bed.

I bit my lip, sighed, then spoke up, tilting my head curiously, "What did he do this time?" I was cautious, ready to disappear if I'd made a mistake in speaking with Clara. She had yet to tell the Doctor, I was sure she wouldn't, but...

Clara jerked up, sending Clave skidding off of the bed as she whirled to face me with wide eyes. "You!" she cried, "I keep seeing you! Why?! Am I going crazy or something?! Because I don't think it's normal to see someone who's supposed to be dead!"

I grimaced at her words. Ouch. Although they _were_ true... "You're not crazy," I reassured, smiling slightly. "I'm not really here." Just to prove it, I stuck my hand through the wall, snickering at her astonished look. "I've merely figured out how to create an illusion version of myself that let's me see what's going on when I use it...I've been working hard on it. It's been tiring me out every time I do it if I'm not on a rift though." I shrugged. "S'why you've had to stop for fuel so often lately."

Clara's lips parted in surprise, and she approached warily, studying me. "Why?" she said suddenly. "The Doctor, he told me...you haven't really tried until now. This only started happening recently..."

"I had to master my screens," I said with a shrug. "I had to get used to directing this form-" I waved at the space around me, "-and you know. Took me a _long_ time, especially after my appearance changed." I hummed thoughtfully, the sound echoing around us. "There was, you know, some issues when I didn't know where anything was again."

She chuckled, then said softly, "He's worried...he's refused to stay in here for more than hours at a time... He thinks it's his fault or something."

I gave a dry smile. "Of course he does. No matter what face the Doctor wears, he constantly carries guilt upon his shoulders and blames himself for everything. I tried to take some of that guilt away." I gave a forced laugh, the sound dry and unamused. "And I only created more." I turned my eyes upon Clara, and she met them. Curiosity gleamed in her own dark eyes. "Did he tell you the full story? Of what happened to me?"

"I think so," Clara murmured. "TARDIS chose you as its "successor" and you chose to follow through with the plans she set up to avoid destroying everyone and anyone. You saved him, then became the TARDIS. Right?"

I gave a soft chuckle, glancing at Clave affectionately. "I knew it meant my death before he did; I was told by the previous TARDIS herself...I hid it from him because I knew he would blame himself, send me home. Actually did leave me behind once. The old girl came back for me. And aliens knew thousands of years before I knew, too. Daleks came and completely destroyed my family, killed ever last one of them. Cybermen killed my adopted mother. Weeping Angels sent one of my closest friends back in time. The Doctor and Drevan are the only ones left...you know?" I grinned. Ah, Clara, the daughter of Catie. Though not exactly the same one that had been Catie's child...

"I'm sorry," Clara said softly. I tilted my head back and laughed, then hugged myself, unable to feel the pressure of my hands as I did so. I scowled down at myself, furious. I wanted to be able to properly hug the Doctor when I finally showed myself to him, but I found myself realizing that such a thing wouldn't happen.

"It's not that big of a deal," I told her honestly, "I've been over it for a long time now. Over a hundred years, maybe a few more centuries if I'm correct...now. I have a favor to ask of you in a much more polite way now...can you not tell the Doctor about what I'm doing? Please. I don't...he's not ready."

"Of course," Clara promised, giving me a brilliant smile. Clave purred his approvement from where he was, sliding over to pace in circles around my feet. I chuckled, beaming at him before tilting my head. "The Doctor's coming now," I told her, already preparing to go back to my darkness. "I'll come visit with you again soon...if that's okay?"

"Yeah," Clara agreed eagerly. "I'd like to ask you more things next time we speak."

"You're welcome to," I told her, then gave a final wink. "Make sure he stops hitting me, would you? It hurts." And with that, I stepped back into the darkness, just before the Doctor stepped into the room, sounding curious as he asked Clara who'd she'd been speaking to.

_"Clave,"_ Clara lied with a giggle. I felt a surge of affection for the Impossible Girl, and hummed softly to thank her. She'd help me until I was able to do what I'd set out to do. _"Say, Doctor, what was it you said about the seventeen hundreds...?"_

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

**And Clara's friends with Ali. Yay! *hops around* Hope you enjoyed this and thanks for reading! :D**

* * *

><p><strong>Gallifrey Immigrant:<strong> Ooh, I'm liking your username. XD I'm glad you did like the viewpoint. :)

**bored411:** Happy to say she won't be as alone now that she's gonna be hanging out with Clave and Clara, but still. Not the company Ali wants completely, is it?

**BrainStormer:** It's a complicated situation with why she can't communicate that'll be explained later. XD And I didn't even THINK of that episode. o.o That'll be coming into a later conversation...

**Maren the fangirl:** Gotta love the Clave. XD


	4. Darkness: Part III

**Darkness: Part III**

* * *

><p>I stepped into the control room, rolling my shoulders thoughtfully as I took in the untidiness. The Doctor was in the middle of some important adventure with Clara - something about the Cybermen, I believed - and had rushed in to grab something. He'd found it only after throwing everything around and had left my control room a mess. Rolling my eyes, I glared at it, then willed it all to put itself away. It did and I felt a flash of triumph.<p>

Months had passed since my friendly chat with Clara, and I was slowly but surely growing more powerful. I no longer required as many stops for fuel. I no longer passed out as I once had, and I'd even been able to step just barely outside of the TARDIS doors without completely killing myself - though the Doctor had come running and nearly seen me when the sirens had begun to scream again.

Clara, it turned out, and liked Drevan after that first trip. Though my friend wasn't exactly into the female race, they became fairly good friends, and I was happy when the Impossible Girl demanded they stopped to see him every now and then.

It was getting close, I realized now as I studied the clean control room, my gray eyes darkening anxiously. I had mastered what I had aimed to. It was nearly time to reveal myself to the Doctor. He still got angry over small things, upset with what had happened, but...he was happier. And that was what ruined my confidence. He still needed me, of course. I was the TARDIS. But it wasn't as big a deal that I was also Ali. He didn't need Ali anymore, he needed the TARDIS.

And that made me reluctant to show myself as I'd been planning.

I'd had many conversations with Clara recently over it. She was a surprisingly sympathetic and understanding person, I had realized when she'd first noticed my sudden lack of presence. I'd told her that perhaps it wasn't a good idea, and she'd urged me to think otherwise. The Doctor, she told me, apparently compared many people to me. I didn't believe her, but I was happy she tried so hard to make me happy again.

So, here I was, perching myself on the edge of the captain's seat, my gaze watching my central column carefully and calmly. Clave, who'd stayed behind like he usually did to keep me company hopped up to curl on the seat beside me, and I ran my fingers thoughtfully along the ridges of the heavy plating along his back. I couldn't feel them, of course, and neither could he, but it was comforting.

Clara didn't know I was planning to reveal myself so soon. She thought I still had a while before I met my goals. But I'd managed to succeed at what I aimed to do, and it was time to see what the Doctor thought of it all. I took in a big breath - though I didn't really need the air - and sighed quietly. Clave opened a single amber eye to study me, then lifted his head as a familiar lock filled the air.

I didn't look back as the Doctor and Clara stumbled in, shivering after a visit to some icy planet. The Doctor had claimed that it had beautiful sunrises and had offered to take Clara to see - as long as the Impossible Girl was willing to dress warmly. He, supposedly, didn't need warm clothing because he was a Time Lord. I could feel his regret about the matter now. I didn't move, didn't say a word as the Doctor pranced over to the controls without so much as looking my way. "I told you!" he cried, cheerfully checking the screen that swung around the console. "Beautiful!"

Clara, however, noticed immediately, almost as if she sensed something was different. Her warm brown eyes drifted around, then locked on me. Her lips parted in surprise and I flashed her a quick smile, my eyes still locked on the bowtie man. Let's see if he'd notice...

Clara, unable to help herself, giggled when he merely continued to blather on about something or another, and Clave snorted in annoyance at his lack of attention to details. I was in a full out grin before he finally noticed Clara's laughter. "Oy!" he demanded, "What's so funny?"

She glanced to me and I nodded, so she waved in my direction. "Turn around, you idiot."

He frowned, but did as she told him to. The second his eyes landed on me, the confusion vanished, replaced by shock. My grin faded into a simply soft, warm smile, and I waved hesitantly. "Hello, Doctor," I greeted, humming softly in greeting. The sound echoed all around us, filling the silence that followed until it faded away. I became nervous when he didn't respond. My breathing - which wasn't necessary - hitched. I'd made a mistake. I'd made a huge mistake. Just as panic had begun to take over, he finally spoke.

"Ali?" he rasped.

I forced myself to smile, nodding curtly. Something was wrong. I'd made a mistake, I repeated in my mind, over and over again. I'd made a _huge_ freaking mistake.

Clara stepped in to rescue me, her gaze apologetic towards me, annoyed towards the Doctor. "Doctor, stop staring and say something. Honestly!" I chuckled at the Impossible Girl's words, though the sound was choked. Only she wouldn't be scared or shocked by something like this...then again, we'd been discussing it for months.

I stood, hesitant, and Clave growled softly at the Doctor when still he didn't say anything. The small reptilian alien slid from his place to scrabble up Clara's body and curl around her shoulders, reaching out to nip the Doctor's ear.

_That_ snapped him out of his stupor. He shot Clave a glare, swatting at him, and Clave hissed in response. The Doctor scowled and Clave met this with a snapping of his jaws, tongue poking out for a moment.

Clara and I exchanged a look, and then burst into laughter. Only he would get into an argument with an alien that couldn't speak! The sound filled the internal areas of my physical form, and I finally just let it die off until a faint smile was on my face. I wouldn't do this again...at least if he could see me. I'd made a mistake, as stated previously, and I couldn't correct it. So I'd do the next best thing and not repeat it. I hadn't even said anything yet, though...

So I took a deep breath - again, no need to breathe, but it was comforting - and said softly, ready to step into hiding, "Hello, Doctor. Been a while, hasn't it?"

He shook his head, a hesitant smile appearing on his face, as if he didn't want to believe what he saw. Relief filled my entire...well, soul, and he stepped forward, moving to gently touch my cheek, but frowned when his fingers passed through. "Interface?" he suggested, and I contemplated that for a moment, frowning.

"So that's what it's called," I sighed, shaking my head. Should have known he knew about such a thing. "Guess so...but I think it's a bit different then what's been done in the past...for one, the previous TARDIS didn't take on their original appearance..." I waved at myself, tilting my head. My long dark hair spilled over my shoulder and I made a face when it obscured my vision. It really sucked not being able to pull that out of my face. But I shook my head until it was.

Bowtie man suddenly grinned, and I couldn't help but smile back. This wasn't the Doctor I'd left behind in any way but the memories and perhaps a hint of the emotions, but he was still the Doctor. He was the man I'd grown to love while traveling, though perhaps not in the same way as before he'd regenerated. I remembered people, previous companions, who had been in love with him, but his emotions for them changed as he changed. We were merely good friends now, nothing more, nothing less. I would be the one constant in his ever changing life.

But, in the end, I realized as exhaustion swept through me out of nowhere, I was still just the TARDIS now. I wasn't human. I was a machine with a mind. My smile vanished and I groaned, my physical form moaning at the same time. The Doctor's face filled with concern. "Ali?"

"No worries," I mumbled, "Give me a few hours, I'll show back up." And with a final smile, I vanished.

The Doctor was berating Clara immediately. _"What happened to her?!"_

_"She's just tired,"_ Clara soothed, laughing softly. _"Like she said, she'll be back. She pops in and out. She's been working on it for months, Doctor...it's why she's had to be fueled back up more often then usual."_

I yawned within the darkness. I wouldn't be able to stay awake for much longer...and I required fuel. I alerted them of this fact, then dropped backwards with a sigh to nap until I was able to wake up again.

* * *

><p>I perched thoughtfully on the steps that led down to where the Doctor liked to tinker with things he probably shouldn't be tinkering with. My gray eyes watched curiously as he muttered to himself. Just like my Doctor, bowtie man liked to talk to himself, as if there was someone else in the room...although there usually was now. He rarely knew I was there - I stuck close to the shadows - but I was more than often in the same room as him. I hadn't shown myself to him since that first time, but he did seem to be much more cheerful. That darkness that had once been in his eyes was gone, replaced by eagerness every time he spoke softly to my physical form.<p>

Clara wasn't in the TARDIS at the moment. The young woman had gone off to enjoy some time with Drevan - something I was incredibly jealous of. I missed my closest and best friend. And Bre, too. I didn't have a single clue as to what had happened to her after my...well, succession. What else was I supposed to call it?

Clara often reported to me about what Drevan was up to. He'd gone to college...taking online classes, she told me, and he was doing very well. When I'd asked about Dany, she'd been confused. I'd explained to her about my beloved horse, along with Tex, and she'd quickly responded, telling me that Drevan usually just left him to graze peacefully in a pasture, something I knew Dany liked.

I sighed silently, shaking my head. I missed being human, I realized now. My mind raced with the thoughts and memories of how life had been before I'd become the TARDIS. I missed it. I had loved that life, running around with my Doctor and coming to see Drevan. I missed drawing, too.

My physical form moaned quietly to go along with the grief flooding me and I grimaced in irritation. It was hard to keep my thoughts to myself when this happened. The Doctor paused in what he was doing to mumble, "Everything alright, Sexy?"

I couldn't help myself. "Where the _hell_ did you come up with the name "Sexy"?"

The Doctor jerked, slamming his head into one of the many pieces he was tinkering with, and I grimaced at the soft thud it made. Muttering under his breath with a pained look in his eyes, the Doctor blinked at me, then grinned. "Ali."

"Seriously!" I couldn't keep the grin off of my own face, and I crossed my legs at the ankle, my black boots - the very ones I'd been wearing when I became the TARDIS - resting lightly upon the dark floor. "I'm not kidding. Where did you come up with it?"

He ignored my question, his green eyes sparkling playfully as he stood and rubbed at the spot on his head that he'd hit. "You're back..." Curiosity shone in his eyes. "Where were you? You're here now, but where are you when you're not here? Clara said you can hear us..."

The Doctor was clueless about some things. It was strange to know more than he did. Outside of this matter, we knew almost the same amount of things...excluding his future. I knew that, too, but he didn't.

My expression closed off. Not intentionally, but it did. I took a moment before answering, listening to the skittering of Clave's claws as he came rushing to find me, purring the second he discovered where I was. I smiled gently at him, though it was forced. "Nowhere you need to know about, Doctor," I said finally, giving a soft sigh as I remembered the darkness and my screens. "I can hear you, like Clara said. But until I started doing this..." I waved at my form, and then shrugged. "I couldn't see. I still can't feel or smell. When you send directions through the controls upstairs, I receive them and direct our path. It's...complicated. S'why I failed so many times in the beginning."

The Doctor listened, paying close attention to what I said, and I found myself shocked by the intensity with which he payed attention to my words. From what I'd heard and seen while standing in the shadows while he was around, he was the most childish of all of his regenerations...as far as I could tell. I would have to look into that later. "You didn't fail," he protested, "You just didn't get where I set the directions to go..."

I snorted. "You explain that to Amy and then we'll talk." It was my fault that poor girl had had to wait so long for her Raggedy Man to show back up. I missed her now, even though I did like Clara. Amy's attitude had reminded me of Donna, though I'd never really met the woman...

My mind drifted back to the change that had happened when I'd been unable to come back for Amy sooner. I remembered the pain that had wracked through me as my physical form changed to work for this Doctor. I hadn't been able to think straight, the pain streaming through my veins for endless hours. It had been a relief when it had ended.

The Doctor flashed a small grin, then tossed the tool in his hand over his shoulder. I glared when it struck the ground with a clang, but he didn't seem to notice, whisking past me to climb back up into the control area. "Clara's not here right now, she's with-"

"Drevan, I know," I muttered, jealousy filling me. I wanted to see him, too. It wasn't fair that only she got to. Maybe I could ask her to bring her in...though it might freak him out a bit. Drevan had helped us a lot, but I don't think he was all for aliens after living peacefully for years.

The Doctor noticed the jealousy in my tone immediately, and I grimaced at the fact. Of course he would. He knew me. Well, this me. The me that had been hanging with the Doctor.

Not the me that controlled screens in a sea of black.

"When he and Clara come back, I'm sure he'd want to see you," the Doctor offered. "Clara said she was going to tell Drevan that you were able to show yourself to us."

"No," I said firmly. "I miss him, but no. I don't want to see him, Doctor. He'll get upset...angry. With not just you, either. He'll get pretty pissed off with me, too, you know. I'd like to not have him yell at me. He can remember me like he does. I do wish Clara wasn't telling him, though..."

"It wasn't my idea," the Doctor said defensively, giving me a look. I shrugged; I knew it wasn't, Clara had been the one to think it was a good idea. She thought it would be better if Drevan knew what had happened since the last time they'd seen each other. I sighed softly, then glanced up quickly when he said thoughtfully, "The last time I saw Drevan, he was concerned about how you were. We told him the truth: that you'd become the TARDIS. He blames me. Not that I blame him for the accusation. Of course, I tried to leave you here."

I scowled at the memory. He had. And I was still annoyed about it. The TARDIS had come back for me, thank goodness, but it hadn't been very nice of him to leave me defenseless against an alien that had taken on Drevan's appearance. "I know," I said softly, hugging myself as I followed him up the control area. My physical form trembled along with me. "Now you can try. But you'll screw yourself over if you do."

He grinned with a solemn look. "I'm well aware of that, Ali."

I smirked. "Oh, so _now_ I'm Ali. Earlier it was "Sexy". Which, by the way, I still want to know about! Why the hell have you started calling me "Sexy"?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I thought it fit."

I groaned. "That's lovely."

He glanced curiously at me. "You know, you didn't seem to be yourself when you were forced into that human body...Idris? I didn't say anything about it in front of the others, but you seemed like a completely different person."

I hardened immediately at _that_. "Because it was. In a way, it was like your regenerating business, Doctor. You retain all of the information, the memories, from your previous life. But you appear different, your attitude is different, everything about you is nearly a new person. She had everything I know and all of the feelings I had. She could make the sound of a moving TARDIS like I can." Just to prove it, I smirked and let the sound fill the room. "But she kept her own personality. I remained here...just without my abilities to move or do anything. Try being caged with no way out while someone walks around with someone who believes they are you."

He grimaced, as if pained by the idea, and I nodded. Yeah, it had sucked. I remembered that moment well. Just as I head voices approaching my doors, I came up with the lie. I winked. "Time for me to go, I'm exhausted. I'll be back later, maybe. Depends on if we're still hanging out here. Don't want to use up all the fuel doing this." I waved at myself.

Without another word, I stepped back into the darkness. I was filled with loneliness immediately, and it hurt. I wanted to see Drevan, but I didn't want him to shout at me. I didn't want him to blame me for what had happened. Yeah, I had chosen to become the TARDIS, but...it didn't mean I wanted to hear any more complaints about it!

So, I returned to the darkness, letting my fingers skim along the screens as the Doctor suggested they take a trip to Hawaii.

* * *

><p>Something was wrong.<p>

I was wide awake after dozing while the Doctor and Clara were out guiding Drevan among the ancient Aztecs, and my gaze darted this way and that, scanning screen after screen as I tried to find out what it was. I set of alarms in hopes that it would bring the Doctor back, but it wasn't working. I was on my own for this.

Growling, the sound echoing in my physical form, I did the only thing I could: I searched. I searched and searched, taking in the different warnings that popped up. In no time, I had figured out what was wrong.

Something had gotten into my systems. Not like what the previous TARDIS had had, I knew what _that_ felt like. This was more like a more powerful alien, trying to push me out-

Oh, hell. I fought furiously, working quickly to keep it from doing anything, and it was very much a relief when the Doctor burst in, demanding immediately, _"Ali, what's wrong?"_

I appeared a mere inch from him, gray eyes burning with panic. "Doctor, there's something in my systems," I said seriously. Clara peeked around him with a surprised look, but it was Drevan's voice that made me freeze.

"_Ali_?" he breathed, eyes wide. I glanced at him, longing to respond. But now was _not_ the time. I returned my gaze to the Doctor, pleading, "Help me. I can't find it. It's going to push me out. I know what it wants, and it's going to get it. Doctor, I need _help_." I whimpered. What would happen if I was pushed out? Would I die like the previous TARDIS had while some bastard took over my place?

"Keep looking," he said grimly, darting for the control panel. Clave, who'd accompanied them, whimpered.

I stepped away immediately. I went back to scanning my screens, my hands shaking. But I couldn't find it! _I couldn't find what I was looking for!_ And neither could the Doctor, we were both struggling desperately but unsuccessful. He ordered Clara and Drevan to step in to help, shouting orders at them.

We couldn't _find it_.

My sirens became even louder in my fear, and I couldn't hear the Doctor over the raging sounds. His voice was blocked out on his end from them, and I began to fight back tears, clutching my head when pain suddenly filled it. Pain like no other flooded me, even worse than when I had changed into this form. Even worse then when my physical form had shifted. And I _screamed_, the sound echoing painfully in my physical form.

And then, suddenly, it was quiet.

I opened my eyes, tears leaking down my cheeks, and blinked in confusion, squinting in the sunlight. What the _hell_? I peered curiously around me, relieved that the pain had suddenly vanished, but nervous when I realized I was actually outside, the TARDIS nowhere in sight.

Where was I?

I dropped my hands from my head, letting them rest along the itchy grass...and then froze, fear making me leap to my feet. A breeze slapped me in the face, an icy one that blew my dark hair around my face, making me shiver.

...I could feel. I could feel the things around me. Nervous, I touched my face, startled by the feeling of skin beneath my fingertips. A hysterical giggle escaped me. At the same time that I was ecstatic, I was terrified. What had _happened_? How was I out and human again? That couldn't be good...

_"Ali? Ali, can you hear me? Answer if you can, please!"_

Ah, so I wasn't completely back to human mode. I tested out a hum and the Doctor gave a relieved cry. Huh. So I was still the TARDIS. But something had gone wrong. I wasn't in there. In fact, I had no idea where I-

Something playfully nipped at her ear. I whirled around and was astonished to discover a whickering Dany standing there, his ears pricked forward as he pressed his muzzle against my shoulder. "Dany?" I gasped, stroking his neck slowly. I grinned at the feeling of hair and flesh beneath my fingers. It was good to pet something again.

_"Ali? Where are you? Can you show up?"_

I grinned. Hell freaking _yes_ I could show up. I directed Dany to kneel, which he did speedily, and hopped onto the massive horse's back. Clicking my tongue and directing him with my legs, I urged him into a canter in the direction of the house. I knew exactly where I was.

When we reached the fence, Dany popped over it with ease. I grinned. This was going to be interesting... I swung down, pointing, and Dany understood. He bumped my cheek, then hopped back into his pasture. Smugly, I hummed and strode towards the TARDIS doors, brushing my fingers against the wood. I shuddered. I felt my own touch...was that weird? Shrugging, I shoved both doors open and smiled faintly at the looks that appeared on all of their faces when they whirled around to face me.

"Right," I said slowly. "So we've got a very _interesting _problem..."

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><p><strong>AN**

**What's this?! Ali's out of the TARDIS sorta! Yay! :D The question is: what the hell did I create? 'Cause I need a name for it... lol. XD Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!**

* * *

><p><strong>BrainStormer: <strong>;) No need to feel worse for Ali anymore. Things will (hopefully) go uphill from here onward! But to clear up your confusion: Ali met Ten after Martha and Donna, and before he came across the Master after Donna left. So he would have regenerated soon after Ali left.

**bored411:** Stressed is a bit of an understatement, I think. XD

**Maren the fangirl:** I'm glad! I thought at first I'd have Clara hate on Ali, honestly, but I'm glad I didn't. .

**Silently Here:** Lol. Here you are then! ^_^

**thewholocklover:** Ah, I probably should have updated TS with a mention of the sequel being up now. . Perhaps I will do that...


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